1. Field of the Invention
The field of the present invention relates to full-body immersion baptismal pools and transport devices having full-body immersion baptismal pools incorporated therein, and particularly full-body immersion baptismal pools and devices that incorporate automatic, comfort, adjustment, and baptism-assistance features.
2. Background
For Christians, baptism is considered an outward expression of the acceptance of Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. Although different denominations of Christianity have different methods of baptism, full-body immersion baptism is frequently practiced. During full-body immersion baptism, the full body (i.e. from the top of the head to the soles of the feet) of a person is completely submerged underwater. But, regardless of the method chosen, baptism is a time of great faith and commitment for those who follow the Christian way.
Depending upon location, a full-body immersion baptism will usually take place either in a baptismal pool, which has been incorporated into a church sanctuary or at a nearby body of water where those being baptized are “dipped.” Usually during a baptism ceremony, the person being baptized is supported by two or more persons during the immersion process. Therefore, either type of location must have sufficient width for at least three persons to stand upright in the pool and sufficient length and depth for one person's body to be fully submerged underwater in the pool.
When a full-body immersion baptismal pool is located inside of a sanctuary, the room should have sufficient height and clearance to accommodate all users participating in the ceremony. Also because of the nature of the ceremony, often friends and family are positioned near the baptismal pool to witness the baptism. As such, the location of the pool should be easily accessible or viewable by onlookers and participants. Because of these and other requirements for full-body immersion baptismal pools, some churches are required to travel to a remote location to practice baptism or bear the expense of constructing a full-body immersion baptismal pool.
Because of the inconvenience of traveling and the expense of construction, some portable baptismal pools have been proposed. These types of baptismal pools seek to serve the needs of churches without baptismal pools and churches without convenient access to nearby bodies of water. Although useful for their intended purpose, many of these baptismal pools are difficult to assemble and often do not fully meet the length, width and height requirements necessary for full-body immersion baptism. These pools are also not configured to accommodate handicapped persons (e.g. those confined to a wheelchair or hospital bed) and/or persons who weigh up to 1000 pounds.
Because of their “portable” nature, many proposed portable baptismal pools are not constructed from sturdy materials. These portable baptismal pools also do not include features that would make the baptismal experience more comfortable. For example, few, if any portable baptismal pools includes automatic adjustments for temperature, water level and other enhancements that would assist the baptizer (i.e. those who are assisting the person being baptized). As a result, these types of portable pools may distract away from the overall baptismal experience. There is also a need for baptismal pool that offers baptism-assistance features. Such features allow a person to be baptized without assistance.
For these reasons, among others, there is a clear need for portable baptismal pools including automatic and comfort features, as well as transport devices that incorporate the full-body immersion baptismal pools with automatic and comfort features. The present invention fills the present need for improved baptismal pools and provides further related advantages, as disclosed herein.